[rubber check] {n.}, {informal} A check written without enoughmoney in the bank to make it good. Bill got into trouble when hepaid his bills with rubber checks. By the time we knew he had paidus with a rubber check, the man had left the state. The rubbercheck bounced.
[fall into the habit of] {v. phr.} To develop the custom of doingsomething. Jack has fallen into the bad habit of playing poker forlarge sums of money every night.
Идиома: all of a sudden Перевод: вдруг, внезапно, неожиданно Пример: All of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain. Вдруг нашли тучи, и пошел дождь.
Идиома: get time off / take time off Перевод: получить отпуск на работе Пример: I can never get time off in the summer. Я никогда не могу получить отпуск летом.
Идиома: cash on the barrelhead Идиома: cash on the barrelhead Перевод: «деньги на бочку»; оплата наличными сразу же в момент покупки Пример: We were forced to pay cash on the barrelhead for everything at the store. В магазине нас заставили за все заплатить наличными сразу же. The old man said, «To buy my pony you’ll … Читать далее
[go off half-cocked] also [go off at half cock] {v. phr.},{informal} To act or speak before getting ready; to do something toosoon. Bill often goes off half cocked. Mr. Jones was thinkingabout quilting his job, but his wife told him not to go at half cock.
[rub up to] {v. phr.} To do nice things for one; flatter a person;gain attention or rewards. Mona has the ability to rub up to theright kinds of people, so it’s no wonder she is so popular at herwork.
[war baby] {n.}, {informal} A person born during a war. Warbabies began to increase college enrollments early in the 1960s. The war babies forced many towns to build new schools.
Идиома: be off to a bad start Перевод: начать что-либо при неблагоприятных, плохих условиях Пример: The production of the play was off to a bad start when the lights did not work. Из-за того, что потух свет, постановка пьесы началась не самым лучшим образом.
[hang on to] {v.} To hold tightly; keep firmly. The child hungon to its mother’s apron, and would not let go. John did not likehis job, but decided to hang on to it until he found a better one.
[boggle the mind] {v. phr.}, {informal} To stop the rational thinking process by virtue of being too fantastic or incredible. It boggles the mind that John should have been inside a flying saucer!
[in the clear] {adj. phr.} 1. Free of anything that makes moving orseeing difficult; with nothing to limit action. The plane climbedabove the clouds and was flying in the clear. Jack passed the ballto Tim, who was in the clear and ran for a touchdown. 2. {informal}Free of blame or suspicion; not thought to be … Читать далее
[throw one’s hat in the ring] or [toss one’s hat in the ring] {v. phr.}, {informal} To announce that you are going to try to be electedto an official position; become a candidate for office. Bill tossedhis hat in the ring for class president. The senator threw his hatin the ring for re-election.
Идиома: go wrong Перевод: 1. сломаться, выйти из строя, случиться (о неприятности); 2. пойти по плохой дороге, связаться с преступным миром; сбиться с пути, низко скатиться, опуститься (морально) Пример: Things began to go wrong soon after our camping trip began. Все пошло не так вскоре после того, как наш поход начался. As soon as he … Читать далее
[here goes] {interj.}, {informal} I am ready to begin; I am nowready and willing to take the chance; I am hoping for the best. — Saidespecially before beginning something that takes skill, luck, orcourage. «Here goes!» said Charley, as he jumped off the highdiving board. «Here goes!» said Mary as she started the test.
[act of faith] {n. phr.} An act or a deed that shows unquestioning belief in someone or something. It was a real act of faith on Mary’s part to entrust her jewelry to her younger sister’s care.
[go jump in the lake] {v. phr.}, {informal} To go away and quitbeing a bother. George was tired of Tom’s advice and told him to gojump in the lake. Compare: GO CHASE YOURSELF, GO FLY A KITE.
[mastermind] {n.} A person who supplies the intelligence for aproject and Or undertakes its management. Winston Churchill was themastermind in the war against Hitler.
[strike a happy medium] {v. phr.} To find an answer to a problemthat is halfway between two unsatisfactory answers. Mary said thedress was blue. Jane said it was green. They finally struck a happymedium and decided it was blue-green. Two teaspoons of sugar madethe cup of coffee too sweet, and one not sweet enough. One … Читать далее
Идиома: the straight and narrow Перевод: честный образ жизни Пример: The boy took the straight and narrow after he was in trouble with the law. Мальчик начал вести честный образ жизни, после того, как у него были неприятности с законом.
[butter wouldn’t melt in one’s mouth] {informal} You act very polite and friendly but do not really care, you are very nice to people but are not sincere. The new secretary was rude to the other workers, but when she talked to the boss, butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
[rainproof] {adj.} Resistant to rain; something that will not soakin water; referring to a material that repels water. «I don’t needan umbrella,» she said, «as my coat is rainproof.»
[lose one’s head ] {v. phr.} 1. To panic. «Let’s not loseour heads,» the captain cried. «We have good lifeboats on thisvessel.» 2. To become deeply infatuated with someone. Don’t loseyour head over Jane; she is already married. Contrast: KEEP ONE’SHEAD.
[shack up with] {v. phr.}, {slang} To move in with of theopposite sex without marrying the person. Did you know that Ollieand Sue aren’t married? They just decided to shack up for a while. See: LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING.
[brave it out] {v. phr.} To endure something difficult or dangerous through to the end; keep on through trouble or danger. It was a dangerous ocean crossing in wartime, but captain and crew braved it out.
[can’t see the wood for the trees] or [can’t see the woods for the trees] or [can’t see the forest for the trees] {v. phr.} To be unable to judge or understand the whole because of attention to the parts; criticize small things and not see the value or the aim of the future achievement. … Читать далее
[so much for] Enough has been said or done about. — Used to pointout that you have finished with one thing or are going to take upsomething else. So much for the geography of Ireland, we will nowtalk about the people who live there. «I have nothing more to sayto you, Tommy, and so much … Читать далее
Идиома: draw the line at something Перевод: установить границы (дозволенного); провести черту, которую говорящий не собирается пересекать; решать остановиться на чем-либо Пример: We have to draw the line somewhere to limit the costs of the party. Нужно где-то остановиться, чтобы ограничить затраты на вечеринку. When it comes to drugs, he draws the line. He won’t … Читать далее
Идиома: for the better Перевод: к лучшему Пример: It was for the better that the old hospital was closed down. То, что старая больница закрылась, было к лучшему.
Идиома: before long Перевод: скоро, вскоре Пример: I had to wait a few minutes but before long my friend arrived to meet me. Мне пришлось подождать несколько минут, пока придет мой друг, и вскоре он пришел.
[go begging] {v. phr.} To be not needed or wanted. Many oldhomes in the city go begging. Most of the apples on the marketwent begging.
[wide of the mark] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Far from the target orthe thing aimed at. James threw a stone at the cat but it went wideof the mark. 2. Far from the truth; incorrect. You were wide ofthe mark when you said I did it, because Bill did it. Contrast: HITTHE BULL’S-EYE, HIT … Читать далее
[all the way] or [the whole way] {adv. phr.} 1. From start to finish during the whole distance or time. Jack climbed all the way to the top of the tree. Joe has played the whole way in the football game and it’s almost over. 2. In complete agreement; with complete willingness to satisfy. — … Читать далее
Идиома: air one’s dirty laundry in public / air one’s dirty linen in public Идиома: air one’s dirty laundry in public / air one’s dirty linen in public Перевод: выносить на достояние общественности что-либо неприятное, что должно держаться в тайне Пример: The dinner party became uncomfortable when the host began to air his colleague’s dirty … Читать далее
[add fuel to the flame] {v. phr.} To make a bad matter worse by adding to its cause; spread trouble, increase anger or other strong feelings by talk or action. By criticizing his son’s girl, the father added fuel to the flame of his son’s love. Bob was angry with Ted and Ted added fuel … Читать далее
[sewed up] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Won or arranged as you wish;decided. They thought they had the game sewed up, but the otherteam won it with a touchdown in the last quarter. Dick thought hehad the job sewed up, but another boy got it. Compare: IN THE BAG.
[feel up] {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To arouse sexually bymanual contact. You mean to tell me that you’ve been going out forsix months and he hasn’t ever tried to feel you up? Contrast: COP AFEEL.
[see off] {v.} To go to say or wave goodbye to. His brother wentto the train with him to see him off. When Marsha flew to Paris, Flo saw her off at the airport.
[run a tight ship] {v. phr.} To run an organization with a firmhand, with strict rules and regulations. Our dean of the collegeruns a very tight ship; he tolerates no mistakes.
Идиома: make good time Перевод: удаваться прибыть куда-либо в назначенное время или раньше, чем ожидалось Пример: We made good time yesterday and arrived home before it got dark. Вчера нам удалось приехать домой до темноты.
[top off] {v.} To come or bring to a special or unexpected ending;climax. John batted three runs and topped off the game with a homerun. Mary hadn’t finished her homework, she was late to school, and to top it all off she missed a surprise test. George had steakfor dinner and topped it off with … Читать далее
[in on] {prep.} 1. Joining together for. The children collectedmoney from their classmates and went in on a present for theirteacher. 2. Told about; having knowledge of. Bob was in on thesecret. The other girls wouldn’t let Mary in on what they knew.
[hang it] {interj.}, {informal} An exclamation used to expressannoyance or disappointment. Oh, hang it! I forgot to bring thebook I wanted to show you. Hang it all, why don’t you watch whereyou’re going?
Идиома: pep rally Перевод: шумный митинг (обычно студентов) в протест или в поддержку чего-либо Пример: There were so many people at pep rally that we almost got separated from our friends. На митинге было так много людей, что мы почти потеряли своих друзей.
Идиома: a bee in one’s bonnet Перевод: навязчивая идея (часто употребляется в выражении Have a bee in one’s bonnet about something) Пример: My friend has a bee in her bonnet about going to Europe next year. У моей подруги навязчивая идея отправиться в Европу в следующем году.
[call the shots] {v. phr.}, {informal} To give orders; be in charge; direct; control. Bob is a first-rate leader who knows how to call the shots. The quarterback called the shots well, and the team gained twenty yards in five plays. Syn.: CALL THE TUNE.
[wash and wear] {adj.} Not needing to be ironed. — Refersespecially to synthetic and synthetic blend fabrics. Dick boughtthree wash and wear shirts to take on his trip. Sally’s dress ismade of a wash and wear fabric.
Идиома: on and on Перевод: постоянно, утомительно долго Пример: The speech continued on and on until we finally left the meeting. Речь все продолжалась и продолжалась, пока мы, наконец, не ушли с собрания.
[fail to do] {v. phr.} To neglect to do something that is expectedof one. Tom waited for Jane for nearly an hour, but she failed toshow up.
Идиома: second hand Перевод: не новый, бывший в употреблении Пример: We went to a second-hand bookstore to look for the books. Мы пошли в магазин поддержанных книг, чтобы поискать эти книги.